This invention is directed to an assembly for temporarily protecting decorative surfaces on various articles of manufacture such as, for example, household appliances. Many household appliances have various pieces of trim which, in addition to serving structural functions, often are used to enhance the appearance of the particular appliance. For example, the outer edge of the door of a built-in dishwasher often is enclosed by trim strips which have a shiny metallic appearance. They may be polished metal or may be some form of plastic with a metal coating. The control panel of dishwashers and backsplash or control panel of clothes washers also often have decorative trim strips, as do various portions of other products such as refrigerators and various cooking products.
Such decorative trim pieces are subject to being defaced during manufacture, shipping or installation. It is a current practice to provide the individual pieces of trim with protective sheets removably adhered to the decorative surface. These sheets are left on the trim pieces during the manufacturing and shipping processes and are removed when the appliance has been installed in the consumer's home. This protects the decorative surface from accidental marring. However, such decorative strips or trim pieces often are secured to the underlying structure by physical attaching devices such as screws, rivets or bolts that pass through the protective sheet as well as the underlying trim piece. When the protective sheet is pulled off the trim piece at the time of installation, it tears around the head of the screw or other attachment device and leaves remnants of the protective sheet adhering to the trim piece. It is a very painstaking and time consuming process to pick off such remnants. On the other hand, if the installer uses a knife or other sharp instrument to cut around the head of the screw, it is quite likely to mar the underlying decorative surface of the trim piece.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved assembly for protecting a decorative surface of an article of manufacture.
It is further object of this invention to provide such an assembly with which the protective sheet can be removed quickly and easily and yet cleanly.